Atelier LIMO

Świnoujście-San Bartolomeo | Former Schengen- border

As the Wall fell, we were probably too young to assess the meaning of one of the most important events of the end of the 20th century. This episode annonced the dying out of a bipolar world of which our parents had witnessed the construction and radicalization. As much as they belong to the generation of the wall, we belong to the generation of the gap it left behind. | More |

2009 saw the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berliner Wall which led to the dismantling of the Iron Curtain. During these 2O years, the European construction will have experienced significant changes, seeing the number of its members increase from 12 to 27, questionning the statuses of its own frontiers. Among these, a 3000km line in the very heart of Europe separates the „new“ from the „elder“ countries of the EU. Since December 21st 2007, the border controls have ceased and a part of the infrastructure has already been demolished. In order to understand the various aspects and stakes, it seemed interesting to suggest a fieldwork study along this itinerary while questionning these places' future and value.

Our research began with a study journey. During the Summer of 2006, we travelled 8000km in 2 ½ months making systematic roundtrips along the frontier, taking pictures of all the custom posts and gathering information on 238 frontier points respecting a meticulous protocol. This first approach enabled us to develop the following along this route :

- A border survey : interactive database (photos, sounds, texts, videos about the 238 frontier points, available for online consultation at the 238 frontier points)

- “The Barriers Within“ : documentary film, a portrait of 7 frontier inhabitants

- “Border Speaking“ : a touring projection of the film in 40 places from the Adreatic Sea to the Baltic Sea, in partnership with about sixty local associations and organizations.

- "Moving Frontiers“ : an exhibition which took place in Lille, France and Baden-Baden, Germany

[X]

Turku - Tallinn | A detour around the Golfe of Finland (project in progress)

Never before have two European Capitals of Culture been so close geographically to each other, never before have two selected countries had such a similar language. Nevertheless, the question remains : what really links Turku and Tallinn? | More |

To question the memory and the history shared by Finns and Estonians, the project „Kiertotie / Ümbersõit“ suggests to take time to travel and discover. It seizes the opportunity of Turku-Tallinn 2011 and its program „Baltic Trialogue“ to invent and explore a route between the two cities, making a detour by the Federation of Russia, the common neighbour who has played an important role in the history of both countries. This original itinerary will be used as a guideline, along which material will be gathered.

What has history left behind along this route? How can cities, landscapes, buildings or interiors of apartments help us learn about the people living in these regions? What characterizes the memory of those places, who are the holders, and how do they transmit this memory? From an emblematic national monument to the house of an individual; from a border which has moved geographically to a building which has changed its nationality; from the urban plan of a new quarter to the interior of an apartment; from a call for a non-violent revolution to a traditional tale, the aim of this collection of images and stories is to put side by side with varied elements which tell us about the history and the particularities of the regions crossed.

The collected documents will compose an interactive database (planned for 2011). It will also prepare the ground for a documentary film dealing with the same thematic (planned for the end of June 2011). This film will be subtitled in finnish, estonian and russian.

[X]